Victoria Roberts - [Bad Boys of the Highlands 03] (6 page)

Alex sat back casually in the chair and tapped on the rim of his tankard. “And what place might that be?”

Angus and Mary exchanged a glance full of secret meaning, and then Angus bent his head slightly forward. “If I may speak freely…”

Alex raised his brow and waved his hand. “By all means. I would expect naught less.”

“’Tis nay great secret that my cousin needs lessons in matters of comportment. Ye see…Sybella cared for my aunt for two years, locked up within the stone walls of the castle.
’
Tisnae my cousin’s fault, mind ye, but the only companionship to be had was that of her ailing mother and the woman’s soiled linens.”

Angus scrunched up his features in disgust. “That is part of the reason why my cousin is such a spirited lass. In my humble opinion, her father and brother give her far too much leave. But I am sure in time Sybella will come to understand your rules. She only needs a firm hand.” Angus gave Alex a conspiratorial wink.

Alex sat very still, his eyes narrow. “Let me tell ye what I think. The lass watched her mother die, and there was naught my wife could have done but offer her mother comfort—whether by changing her linens or holding her hand. And with ye as my wife’s cousin, nay wonder she stayed within the walls of her mother’s chamber. I donna share your views, and ye will keep them to yourself under my roof. The woman ye speak of is my
wife
. Do ye understand?”

Angus was puzzled by Alex’s stern attitude, but Alex didn’t care. How typical that they would judge Sybella’s behavior when they had absolutely no idea what circumstances molded the lass. Having had a similar situation with his father, Alex was sympathetic toward her plight.

Clearly dismissing Sybella’s annoying kin, he stood. He had no patience for daft people. He approached Sybella, who still remained at her brother’s table, and she stiffened when Alex touched her waist. “Pray excuse me while I steal my bride for a moment,” he said to Colin. The lass looked startled by the intrusion.

Colin smiled and gave Alex a brief nod. “We will speak later, Sybella.”

“Come. I have something to show ye.”

“Should I be worried?” she asked, raising her brow.

Alex didn’t answer as they walked silently through the bustling halls of Glengarry. When they reached the parapet door, he swung it open and gestured her through. “After ye.”

He followed her swaying hips up the stone staircase and only needed a few seconds to realize that his attempts not to be an arse were not working. When she stepped out onto the parapet, she came to a dead stop. For a moment, the lass forgot to move and let him through the door. He reached out and touched her waist as a gentle reminder.

Sybella moved hastily to the side. “My apologies. ’Tis beautiful.”

The day had turned cloudy, and the sun’s rays peeked sporadically through the clouds in the blue-gray sky. Mossy-green grass surrounded the loch, and the water glimmered with the reflective light of amber hues. This was the view that Alex treasured and often sought.

“I thought ye might be in need of a respite from the celebration.”

“Ye thought that right. ’Tis truly breathtaking.”

“Aye, the view is verra bonny as well.”

Sybella rolled her eyes and smirked. “How long did it take ye to think up that one? I bet ye say that to all the lasses.”

“Only a few.”

When she ignored him, Alex thought to try again. He reached out, swinging her around to face him. “I know this must nae be easy for ye, Sybella. Our clans have been battling for so long that everyone has come to expect it. I am comforted by the thought that the warring will cease with our marriage. There has been too much bloodshed. I am probably the last man ye would want for a husband, but I will be a good one nonetheless. I will protect and care for ye as long as ye stand by my side. In return, my only request is that ye are truthful and stay true to your vows. I donna want a marriage filled with lies and distrust. And I offer ye the same courtesy.”

A strange look flashed in her eyes, and she gently tugged away from him. She spoke as she stared out at the loch. “Then ye will nae mind me saying that your kiss wasnae appreciated.”

“My kiss?” Alex hesitated, puzzled. Then as if he were knocked on the head, he realized she was talking about that first kiss by the waterfall, and he chuckled in response.

“Ye know damn…” Clearing her throat, she added, “darn well what I am speaking of, Alexander MacDonell. How dare ye threaten to call a warning if I didnae kiss ye?”

“Now, lass, if ye remember correctly, I did give ye a choice.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Some choice,” she said dryly. “Kiss ye or ye’d call your father’s men. What kind of choice was that?”

“When ye and your brother decided to encroach on our lands, ye gave me verra little choice. And besides, it doesnae matter. Ye are now my wife, Lady MacDonell.”

His expression stilled and grew serious.

Licking her lips nervously, Sybella turned her head promptly away from him and remained still.

Alex moved even closer until he left her no room at all.

***

Sybella swallowed hard and squared her shoulders. Alexander’s fingers took her arm with gentle authority, and he turned her to face him. Briefly closing her eyes, she felt his hand brush the hair back from her neck. His hand remained on her shoulder for a moment too long.

She noticed he was watching her intently, his nearness overwhelming. At the base of her throat, a pulse beat and swelled as though her heart had risen from its usual place.

He lowered his head, and his kiss was surprisingly gentle. The touch of his lips was a delicious sensation. He planted a tantalizing kiss in the hollow of her neck, and she felt her knees weaken.

His lips recaptured hers, more demanding this time. He forced open her mouth with his thrusting tongue and she savored every moment. Her thoughts spun, her emotions whirled and skidded, and her body arched toward him instinctively.

She was shocked at the impact of his gentle grip. Her response to him was so powerful that for a long moment, she felt as if she were floating.

He slowly pulled back, and something unexplainable passed between them. She had to admit that she was strangely flattered by his interest.

“Wife, ’tis still too early to seek our marriage bed. We must return to the celebration.” His voice was low and alluring.

An unwelcome blush crept onto Sybella’s cheeks as she tried to swallow the lump that lingered in her throat. She was humiliatingly conscious of her husband’s scrutiny. She was perfectly aware that she needed to gain his trust, but surely Alexander must think his new wife some type of harlot for kissing him so wantonly in broad daylight.

She was an idiot.

Sybella donned her nightrail and sat in the chair in her bedchamber. Should she be sitting? Maybe she should be standing. She rose and started to pace. Perhaps she should be still. She folded her hands together and then crossed her arms over her chest. What was she supposed to be doing? She felt like a daft fool. When Alexander did not walk through the adjoining door, she sat down on the bed. She sure wasn’t going to appear as though she was waiting for the man to grace her with his presence.

When her husband finally walked through the door, he was dressed in his tunic and kilt. His warm eyes were full of something she could not quite identify, and although what he expected was not clear, there was something captivating in his look. Since Alexander still wore his clothes, maybe he had decided not to consummate the marriage this eve. If that was true, Sybella felt completely underdressed for the occasion.

He placed a tankard down on the bedside table. “Wife.”

“Alexander.”

His gaze lowered, as did his voice. “Ye have yet to call me husband or Alex.”

“We barely know one another,” she said quietly.

“Now that simply isnae true. We have known each other since the day at the waterfall.” His tone was laced with subtle amusement.

Her mouth dropped open. “The
waterfall
? We hardly spoke.”

He gave her a roguish grin and Sybella cast her eyes downward. All too quickly, she had run out of diversions. How much longer could she postpone the inevitable? She tried to force her confused emotions into order and couldn’t stand the unwelcome tension. Praise the saints. There was no sense worrying about what could not be changed. One way or another, after tonight, she would no longer be an innocent woman.

She took a deep breath and consciously masked her inner turmoil with deceptive calmness. But when the silence began to grate on her nerves, she decided to address the subject head on.

“Is there something we need to do first?” She waved her hand in a nervous gesture.

Alexander was momentarily speechless in his surprise. “I was going to speak with ye and offer ye a wee bit of ale, but if ye wish to have me in your bed…” When his eyes darkened with an unreadable emotion, Sybella flopped back onto the bed and adjusted her pillow.

“I am nervous enough. This prolonged torture doesnae benefit anyone. Can ye please do what ye need to do?” She bit her lip in a nervous gesture.

A gentle chuckle answered her as her husband stood perfectly still beside the bed. “Do what I need to do?” He dropped down beside her, facing her, while she continued to stare at the ceiling. Draping his arm over her waist, he shook his head. “Ye donna want any wooing words before we—”

“Why would ye need to give me wooing words when I am already your wife?” she asked dryly.

“Look at me.” When she turned her head, she saw a suggestion of annoyance in his eyes. “Ye are far too tense. Ye need to relax and calm yourself. This doesnae have to be unpleasant.”

“Speaks the man with the…” Sybella gestured toward her husband’s manhood and quickly added, “
cluigean.
”
Hanging
thing.

Her husband stared at her and then burst out laughing. When she started to grind her teeth, the amusement left his eyes. “Sybella, I only try to speak with ye to calm ye.”

She huffed. “Ye have been doing naught but speaking. I donna think your words will change the end result, unless I am mistaken.”

In one swift movement, he lowered his head and moved his mouth over hers. His kiss was surprisingly gentle. His tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips and then explored her mouth. He shifted and kissed the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat as blood coursed through her veins.

She became instantly awake.

Her husband’s arms encircled her, one hand at the small of her back. She could feel his uneven breathing on her cheek as he held her close. The warmth of his arms was so male, so bracing. His mouth was warm and sweet on hers.

The mere touch of his hand sent a warming shiver through her, and she tingled from the contact. She felt transported on a soft and wispy cloud. Alexander’s demanding lips caressed her, and his slow, drugging kisses were driving her mad.

With his tongue, he ravished her mouth. He released her briefly, only enough to breathe, and then repeated his ritual again.

Raising his mouth from hers, he gazed into her eyes. He slid the nightrail off her shoulders and down her arms, as she lay bare beneath his sultry glance. He tugged off his tunic and hastily tossed it aside.

Sybella gasped as bare skin met bare skin and she felt her breasts crush against the hardness of his chest.

Her husband picked up a lock of her hair and caressed it gently. “Ye are so verra bonny.”

When he lightly kneaded her breasts with his rough fingers and teased her nipples into hard aching points, her mind was robbed of any coherent words. He lowered his head and kissed her taut nipples, rousing a melted sweetness within her
.
She found it difficult to remain still when he suckled the tips of her breasts.

There was a heated swelling between her legs, a moistness she did not understand.

When he slid his hand over her trembling stomach and then between her legs, she froze. He kissed her again and, with a few skillful strokes of his fingers, pushed back the shock of his personal touch. His finger thrust inside her, imitating the movement of his tongue in her mouth.

He felt so strong against her body that she was completely enthralled by his masculinity. The possessiveness of his touch did not lessen her awareness of the man in her arms. In truth, she sensed a sudden secureness, protectiveness, coming from him. Is this what it meant to be husband and wife? Her mind was so cluttered with thoughts that she wasn’t exactly sure what she was experiencing.

Her husband’s body moved to partially cover hers, his hands lifting her nightrail above her hips. She momentarily stiffened but quickly remembered Mary’s words of wisdom.

***

As Alex crouched over his bonny wife, he cursed the dim light. From what he could see, Sybella was exquisite. Her creamy breasts filled his hands and her slender hips ignited his passion. Frankly, she aroused him so swiftly that he was afraid he might not be able to take it slowly. That would be a definite challenge.

He reached down and loosened his kilt while he continued to drug her with passionate kisses. He knew she was more than a little nervous, so he would continue to distract her in pleasant ways.

Praise the saints. The lass was so wet and ready for him.

He eased himself inside her and, with one quick thrust, made her his.

Sybella gasped and he held himself up on his forearms, fighting to remain still. He tried not to breathe. His body shook with strain, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Damn, how he craved to move.

He wanted to give her body time to adjust to him, but the feel of her tight heat was almost his undoing. He placed his head to hers, maddened with need.

“Is that all?” she asked with rounded eyes.

He tried to stay the laugh that wanted to escape from him. “Nay, lass, there is much, much more.” He grasped her by the calves and gently pushed her legs up until her knees were bent.

When he pressed deeper within her, she clamped her eyes shut and cried out, “Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera, Pimp, Sethera, Lethera, Hovera, Dovera, Dik—
”

“What are ye doing?” he asked through clenched teeth, his chest heaving. When she hesitated, he thought she was about to answer him. But her eyes remained shut and she continued to chant—louder.

“Yanadik, Tyanadik, Tetheradik.”

“God’s teeth, Sybella!”

“I count sheep,” she said, her voice cold and lashing.

His wife’s emotionless words killed his ardor like a bucket of ice-cold water. When Alex pulled back, Sybella swiftly rolled to her side, tugging the blankets away from him. She became as quiet as a mouse, her behavior unsettling.

Momentarily taken aback by her change in attitude, he swallowed hard, trying not to reveal his anger. He’d tried to be patient with her, but when his
beloved
wife purposely ignored him and did not even stir, he’d had enough. He promptly stood and grabbed his kilt and tunic from the floor. With one last look at the bed, he glowered at the wily female and stormed through the adjoining door. Her actions were as cold and empty as the bed she would sleep in this eve.

When Alex reached his chamber, he contemplated what the hell had happened. His mind turned to their embrace on the parapet. The lass had given in freely to the passion of his kiss. He would love to know what had changed between then and when he’d left her bed only a short moment ago.

He’d never forget the expression on her face. With her eyes clamped shut, Sybella’s look was one of pure torture. He was as gentle and careful as he could’ve been for her first time, but when his wife started to count sheep beneath him, that was the last straw. He would never forget the relief that crossed her face when he rolled onto his side. He wasn’t a total arse. He was going to stay and offer her comfort. But from the look of things, she wanted no part of it—or him.

Whatever his wife’s issues were, she had better get over them soon. He would be visiting her chamber often and would not think about leaving her alone until she became with child. He was disappointed in her. She had seemed so willing to start anew when he kissed her that afternoon, and for a brief time, he was foolish enough to believe they had an understanding.

He refused to dwell on his wife’s odd behavior any longer.

At least the MacKenzies would be leaving in a few short hours. Maybe then, he could finally get everything and everyone around him back to normal. That had not been the case for so long that he needed to remember exactly what normal entailed. Nevertheless, he had one less problem to worry about. His clan would be fed; his union with Sybella taking care of that.

And
poor
Aunt
Iseabail.

Perhaps once all of the commotion had ended and everything settled down, she would have time to rest. The festivities seemed to be taking their toll. Although his aunt obviously favored the companionship of William MacKenzie, the last thing Alex wanted was another of Sybella’s pesky kin under his roof. By this time on the morrow, it would all be over.

***

With a long, exhausted sigh, Sybella pulled herself to her feet and then quickly dropped back onto the bed.

Her body ached.

No wonder. But at least the toughest part was over and she now knew what to expect—although it wasn’t nearly as insufferable as Mary had described.

Sybella rose from the bed, wanting to spend some time with Colin before he took his leave. When a feeling of loneliness washed over her, she willed it away. Everything would be all right. She would accept nothing less. Even though the last few days had unsettled her, she would smile and hold her head high when her clan left for home.

She pulled out her day dress and had turned to the bed when she noticed a spot of blood on the covers. Lifting her nightrail, she observed the same underneath.

Mary never mentioned blood.

Dear
God.

Why was she bleeding? It was not her time.

There was a knock on the adjoining door. “Wife?”

The door cracked open and Sybella ran to close it, barely missing Alexander’s face. “Please donna come in here,” she said in a rush of words.

Her husband’s large hand gripped the door. “Why? What is amiss?”

She pushed again, but the door would not budge against the huge mass of her husband. “Please, Alexander. There is naught
—
”

He shoved the door open and walked through, stealing a glance around her chamber. “What is amiss?”

“
’
Tis naught,” she said with as much innocence as she could muster. She whipped the covers up on the bed and bunched up her nightrail, holding it to the side. When his eyes narrowed, she was keenly aware of his scrutiny. She continued to stare at him, feigning indifference.

He let out a long, audible breath. “Did we nae discuss that I will nae tolerate lies between us? It has only been one day, and already ye forget my words.” He leisurely walked over to the sitting area and pulled out a chair. “I will simply sit here until ye speak the truth.”

When she lifted her brow, he returned the same gesture and waited.

Sybella paled at the enormity of the command. She had not forgotten the words they spoke on the parapet, but she was intensely humiliated. She sat down on the bed, her fingers squeezing the bridge of her nose. “Alexander
—
”

“I am listening.” His tone was the same as if he were talking with a child. Pausing, he seemed to choose his words carefully. “I thought we had an understanding last eve. I expect the truth. Mayhap I wasnae clear in my purpose. When I ask something of ye, I presume ye would be honest. I told ye as much before. I donna tolerate lies.”

Why would he make her speak of this? He folded his muscled arms over his chest and was not going to relent. Why did this come as no surprise? She had no choice but to yield to his command. She was forced to speak the truth, no matter how humiliating, but she certainly didn’t have to look at him while she spoke.

“I bleed and
’
tisnae my time,” she said softly.

“What?”

Sybella repeated her words louder and closed her eyes. Footsteps stopped in front of her and a hand rested upon her shoulder. When she did not glance up, Alexander sat down on the bed beside her.

“Lass,
’
tis normal for your first time. The reason I called upon ye this morn was to tell ye I ordered a bath for ye. It should help to ease the soreness ye feel. There is naught to be ashamed of, and ye donna need to hide such things from me. I am your husband. We are as one.”

She was helpless to halt her embarrassment. “I…didnae know it was normal. When I saw the blood…”

He smiled warmly. “Didnae your mother speak with ye about such things?”